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Chapter 21 - Confined (CF)
Had they been correct? Letting Tubba go off without them? Paralus wasn’t sure. Immediately after Tubba, Galmajo, Dibby and Gonzales’ body escaped, milliseconds before Ludwig finished the anti-teleportation spell. The Koopa King was enraged, his blue irises burning with fury untold. His voice didn’t concede anything, as he ordered the soldiers, quite calmly, to escort the prisoners back to their respective towers of the Place of the Unruly. Word came in the next few days that Ludwig had cancelled their execution. The Koopas had passed around propaganda that Ludwig had had a change of heart and was merciful to the remaining prisoners, recognizing it was unfair to execute them on the mistakes of their leader. Paralus had snorted aloud when he heard that explanation. He knew, and his cellmates Mud and Gamma knew, that Ludwig feared what the Clubbas would do if Tubba’s friends were executed, now that they knew Tubba was safe and far away from the Koopas. Mud had been moved to Paralus and Gamma’s cell in the absence of both Tubba and Galmajo. Gamma had pestered the older Bandit for information on Xavier, Mud had answered his questions succinctly and calmly. Mud was a calming presence in the cell, as Gamma panicked easily, and Paralus was a little separate. Still, Paralus hadn’t forgotten Mud’s resignation when they were being dragged to the execution ring. The sound of Tubba’s agonized roar echoed through their head. Every prisoner in the Place of the Unruly had heard it, and it was a common talking point among those imprisoned. Paralus heard rumours that the Clubbas of Gusty Gulch had used it as a rallying point - the greatest hold the Koopas had on them was that Tubba was unfit, and didn’t care about them. But that shriek that echoed the deepest pain of his heart, that primordial scream... it convinced more and more Clubbas that Tubba was capable of being deeply emotionally attached, to Gonzales as well as Gusty Gulch. The scream became the symbol of defiance. When the moon rose into the sky, spilling stolen light over the Gulch, unearthly howls echoed up to the towers of the Place of the Unruly, where many of the prisoners responded to the Clubbas on the ground, a united resistance against their Koopan rule. None of them had the agonized quality of Tubba’s own scream, but by echoing what their rightful King had done, the Clubbas felt like they were uniting under a single cause. They had no idea what the other prisoners were up to, but Paralus hoped they weren’t resisting. Gamma and Mud had conceded that they were to stay in the prison for a while, and they had started getting plentiful accommodations of food. Three meals a day, and while the cell was a little cramped, it still had three beds. It could’ve been a lot worse. Still... had they been correct in letting Tubba go off without them? Paralus could almost hear his elder brother Mubba’s dry voice. Ally with the enemy, and he deserts you. Did you really expect anything else? However, Tubba had been unwilling to go, even asking about the others, and it was only when Blizzerd shouted at Tubba to go, and that they would be fine, that Tubba decided to teleport away. I don’t think that would’ve happened, Mubba, if he didn’t care. Paralus shot at the bored voice in his head. Plunging into a memory, Paralus was thrown to an age when he was nine years old. Thirteen year old Mubba, just outside their house, on the red and yellow sands of Gusty Gulch. A blustery sky clouded above them, but Mubba seemed unconcerned with the darkening clouds on the horizon. The sun’s weak rays stretched through rarely, but primarily the land was cast in shadow. “You must remember,” Mubba growled at his younger brother, his orange-stained white hair flapping in the heavy wind, ignoring the sand flying into his eyes. “Tubba’s still out there. You remember what he did, two years ago?” His orange eyes burned in Paralus’ dark black ones. “He had a part to play in the death of our brother Bubba,” Paralus replied, bored. Mubba seemed so bent on drilling this into Paralus. It didn’t make any sense - Bubba was gone, dwelling on him wouldn’t change anything. “No!” Mubba hissed, his powerful muscles flexing in his stocky stance. “He dishonoured the Clubbith family name! He ruined everything that made us powerful in Gusty Gulch! Bubba would’ve been the Commander of the Armies, and now he’s not here anymore! Instead, we’re stuck with the strange Mycerinus as King, who hardly cares about us as a noble family! Don’t you understand!? This is all Tubba’s fault!” The sound of movement outside the cell snapped Paralus out of his thoughts. They were heavy steps, the steps of another Clubba, rather than the light and dainty steps of the Koopan soldiers. Glaring outside the bars at the Hammer Brother guarding their cell, he saw a light blue Clubba step into view. Clubbette. He realized he recognized the Clubba, for she was quite famous. He knew what she had done. The estranged Clubba possessing royal blood, Clubbette decided that the current ruling Clubbas were incompetent, and worked with Mazette, the Queen of the King at the time, Mycerinus, and the old Commander of the Armies, Clubbar, to remove those who had a greater claim to the throne than Mazette - Mycerinus and Tubba, since Chubba, Tubba’s twin, could care less about what happened. Mycerinus was killed in conflict, and Tubba was indentured to the Glitz Pit for life. This was all her fault. “You’re dismissed,” Clubbette said to the Hammer Brother, who saluted and immediately trotted away down the hall. With her curious light blue eyes, she examined the cell, to Paralus, glaring at her, Mud and Gamma with their backs to her, the older bandit comforting the younger Star Kid. “This is the cell Tubba was held in?” Paralus didn’t bother to reply. With a flash of guilt, he realized blaming Clubbette for everything that had happened since the Koopas took over would be similar to blaming Tubba for everything that had happened since he played a part in the death of Bubba. Softening, Paralus answered the question: “Yes, it was, Clubbette.” Clubbette looked at him curiously. “I know you, don’t I?” Paralus could watch as her eyes scanned him, from the tip of his white hair to the scaled bottoms of his orange feet. “You’re one of the Clubbiths. One of their three sons.” Despite his instincts screaming at him to not tell her, Paralus gave in to what she was asking. “Yes. Paralus Clubbith.” He said awkwardly, before sticking out his hand through the bars. “Nice to meet you.” He half-expected her to whack away his hand and laugh imperiously at his attempt to be friendly. “Clubbette Clubba,” Clubbette took his hand, her eyes genuine. Paralus reflected on how weird it was to have the last name Clubba, but he knew that Clubbette was a special case - illegitimate daughter of the Clubba Blubbas, she was given a placeholder name, even though her name should’ve been Clubba Blubba. “You’re not the only Clubbith here,” she added. “I’m not?” Paralus felt his heart beating faster. “Who else is here? Mubba?” It had to be Mubba, it simply had to be Mubba. His breath caught as he thought of reuniting with his brother. Even though he didn’t agree with everything Mubba said, they were brothers, the bond of blood too strong to break. Clubbette shook her head. “No. Someone known as Mira.” ''My mother. ''